In the original The Twilight Zone television series, there was an episode that periodically comes to mind and haunts me to this day. (It really doesn’t haunt me; it’s just fun to think about)…(okay, it haunts me a little)…(HELLLLLP!).

It had to do with a small-town resident apparently possessing the meaning of life. Whenever he’d whisper this “truth” to someone, the listener would go insane. By episode’s end, half the town’s residents were out of their minds, not being able to cope with this new information.

So, the question I’ve always asked myself is, “what could be so frightening about the meaning of life that it would cause everyone to go totally crazy?”

I’ve still never been able to figure that out.

So, I’ll ask you: is there an answer to this question? Not the meaning of life (though, feel free to share your opinion of that, as well, if you’d like) but rather, what could be so scary that knowing it could cause us to lose our minds?

Instead of my responding to each answer, I’m going to just sit back and enjoy, if you don’t mind. Though, I’ll do so without the pepperoni pizza that I used to eat whenever I watched “The Zone.”

Oh, one more thing. Get this, get this; I know this episode aired during the original series, not the 1985 revised series.  I remember the black and white setting. And, I remember watching it in college back in 1980. Yes, I remember it as though I were watching it yesterday. Yet, when I tried to search for it on the site of the original series, I could not find it. I could only find it as part of the new series, the episode entitled, “The Need to Know.”

But, I absolutely, without question, remember it. I remember it clearly as can be. I KNOW I do. What is happening? What’s going on? How can I not…

{Narrator: A middle-aged man with graying hair and a slightly expanding girth cannot fathom why his memory, which he thinks of as a steel trap, is possibly failing him. Or, rather is it the world that is failing his memory? He begins to lose his mind as he cannot deal with not being able to place that which he is sure happened. Or, did it happen? That is the quandary he faces as he wanders cyberspace and finds himself suddenly trapped in…The Twilight Zone.}

Cue theme

In a recent post we discussed how paying attention to detail and doing those little things right (especially those your competitors don’t do) can set you apart from the crowd and make the big difference in your business.

I was reminded of this last month when arriving at a doctor’s office in West Palm Beach. It was my first visit there and I mistakenly showed up an hour early. When the two receptionists told me this I was a bit upset at myself as that was an hour that could have used to work.

I uttered a self-annoyed, “I can’t believe I did that.”

No response.

Then, “Well, that was an hour I could have made better use of” and shook my head.

Now, as silly as this sounds, I think I wanted one of them to tell me they understood how I felt and were so sorry that happened.

But, they didn’t. They just looked at me and waited. Don’t get me wrong. They were very nice. They just had nothing to say and so, they didn’t. As soon as I left the office I found there were several coffee shops very close and across the street was a strip mall with numerous restaurants. Always having a book on hand, I had lunch and caught up on some reading. Turned into a nice extra hour.

But, here is where the doctor’s team could have shined big in my eyes. Actually, here is how any office could:

Be Prepared: realizing that Bob Burg is probably not the only klutz whose mind goes on absent, be ready when such a patient arrives.

Communicate Empathy: Let them know you feel for them. Suggested language might be, “I’m so sorry that happened. I hope that didn’t cause you too big an inconvenience. Believe me, you’re not the only one who’s done that.” (And, if you’ve done something similar, let them know that, too.)

Provide Suggestions: What amenities are in your area that could be taken advantage of? In this case, a simple, “Fortunately, and if you’re interested, we have both a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Starbucks within three blocks in either direction. There’s also a wonderful strip mall across the street with your choice of restaurants (and name the restaurants).”

Wow — what a difference! Again, please don’t get me wrong. They were very nice. They just didn’t go that extra step. And, it’s leadership’s responsibility to be sure they are equipped to take that step.

At least, that’s what I think. What say you?

As he worked has way up through the ranks of PepsiCo, David Novak had a realization: you can’t lead a great organization of any size without getting your people aligned, enthusiastic, and focused relentlessly on the mission.

Fortunately, as he was growing in position, he was also a constant and ongoing student of leadership. He’d eventually not only lead his own organizations (becoming president of both KFC and Pizza Hut while they were still under the PepsiCo umbrella) but would go on to be Chairman & CEO of the parent company of three of the largest restaurant chains in the world after they were spun off into their own separate company, YUM! Brands, Inc. (1.4 million employees in more than 117 countries.)

The trademarked program he developed, Taking People With You, which is also the title of his book, he now teaches all over the world. It centers around setting big goals, getting people to work together, blowing past your targets, and celebrating both the touchdowns, as well as the first downs — the smaller victories — along the way. But don’t be fooled by the familiar sound. He shows us how to get it done.

What Mr. Novak did in his book is provide a step-by-step course in leadership. And, like all great leaders, his entire philosophy and methodology revolves around focusing on making others successful.

What he does, works. YUM Brand’s stock has increased over six times and they’ve had 13 percent growth or more for the past nine years. He’s been featured as one of the world’s “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of Fortune’s “Top People in Business,” and one of the “100 Best-Performing CEO’s in the World” by Harvard Business Review.

Personally, I loved the book. And, it was an honor to get to speak with him and extract some wisdom we can all use, whether a one-person show, a medium-sized firm, or a major international conglomerate.

Enjoy our chat.

www.TakingPeopleWithYou.com

What did you learn from David Novak during our discussion that you can apply right away?

NOTE: If you are having trouble playing the interview, please make sure Adobe Flash Player is installed in your web browser. If not, then download Flash Player. Or right-click here and select “Save Link As…” to download the audio file to your computer.

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A recent post by Seth Godin reminded me how great it is to be able to admit when one has made a mistake.

It’s not always great to make the mistake. In fact, often it’s painful, hurtful and downright uncomfortable.

However, when we can admit we made the mistake, take full responsibility for it, and then correct it to the best of our ability, we have taken a giant step in our personal growth as well as our ability to lead and influence others.

I would go as far as to say:

Being able to admit when one is wrong is not only one of the first signs of maturity, but perhaps the foundation of any type of growth and effectiveness.

Yes, mistakes are a key to growth, IF we are able to do that difficult admitting thing.

Have you experienced the same? How did you grow from a mistake?

If you’ve ever had a mentor who deeply touched your life — or wished you had — then you will really enjoy the power and significance of Walking With Justice by Dr. Mollie Marti. The combination Doctor/Lawyer/speaker goes back into her memories and documents the time she spent and lessons learned from the late Federal Judge Max Rosenn of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

As she says, “I went to learn the law. His lessons transformed my life.”

I was honored to write the forward to this book about a man of honor, integrity; kindness and wisdom. And, in this interview, I’m delighted to hear from the author herself, one of my treasured mentors.

Our conversation is hosted by another of my amazing mentors, Dondi Scumaci. Enjoy our chat.

WalkingWithJustice.com

Could you feel the love for the Judge in Dr. Mollie’s voice? Please share with us your mentor and how he/she taught you lessons that in some way transformed you into another way of thinking, acting, believing, doing, and living. We’d love to hear about this person.

NOTE: If you are having trouble playing the interview, please make sure Adobe Flash Player is installed in your web browser. If not, then download Flash Player. Or right-click here and select “Save Link As…” to download the audio file to your computer.

In order to not miss any future interviews and to receive four value-packed special reports, fill in your first name and email address in the sign-up form above.